Apparatus for making alcohol-reduced beverages.



H. HEUSER.

APPARATUSA FOR MAKING ALCOHOL REDUCED BEVERAGES. APPLICATION EILED NOV. 25.1916.

LWQSL Patentedsept. 3,1918.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

-2 @11 2a A, l

` H. HEUSER. APPARATUS FOR MAKING ALCOHOL REDUCED BEVERAGES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25,19l6.

1,277,93L 4 Pafentedsept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Henmannnusnn, or cnicaeo, ILLINOIS.l

AP'rAnATUs 'FonMAKING aLconoL-nnnucnn BEVERAGES.

Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for'Making 'Alcohol-Reduced Beverages, of `which the following isa specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

My invention -relates to' the manufacture l of'alc'ohol-reduced beverages,v and inparticular to that stage of their 'manufacturev which deals with the lremoval or reduction' of the alcohol in any kind of beverages; It

consists in an apparatus for flowing the alcoholicy beverage in a thin, ilm over a vertical -or inclined heating surface and instantane `ously transmitting to each successive portion ofthe beveragein the owing lin the large 'volume or quantity of heat contained f in pressure steam in the formof latent heat to momentarily boil the beverage in the owing film at .high temperatures4 above those a ordinarilydetrimental to the quality'of the beverage to`- instantaneously reduce its "allcohol content during its passage over 'such vsurface without impairing itsquality.

' elevation ;v

In the accompanying drawings .Figure 1 representsan apparatus embodying the various features of my present invention, the view being partly in section and partly in Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view looking 'in the direction of the arrows on the line 2-2 Fig. 3 is a s iaOfFig-.ig

Fig. 4. is .a detail' viewniistraing the spraying action of one of the steam injectors or inlets, being o n an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the' beverage-supply pipe. v

In the drawings the-reference numeral 1 indicates' an evaporating chamber, preferably a vacuum pan which isconnected by its vapor tube 2-to acondenser 3 which is of the barometric injection type and is con` nectedl by pipe4 to a dry-vacuum pump 5.

detail sectional view on the line.

Speciication of Letters Patent.- A'] );),1;e111,'(5(1 Sept, 3, 1918', Application filed November 25, 1916. Serial No. 133,506. I

The steam inlets are arranged in banks orv units, the banks for the shell jacket being at different levels and numbered respectively 11, 12 and 13, and thebank for the bottom jacket being numbered 14. The steam-inlets of each bank are connected to the same ringinlets 12 to a header 16, inlets 13 to a header `17 ,and inlets 14 to a header 18, and each of the units .can be independently operated as its supply pipe leading from the source of steam supply 19. has a control-valve, these valves being numbered 20, 21, 22, and 23,

respectively. This unit arrangement of steam inlets effects a uniform distribution of the steam, and the spaced arrangement of the units along the length of the chamber. enables me to use them separately or in series as desired to increase o r decrease the zone of evaporation. Toinc'rease the uniformity of the steam distribution the vari ous inlets are `laterally perforated at their terminals in the jackets in such a way that the steam does not How direct against theV ED -STPATENT OFFICE. y

shaped header, the inlets 11 to header 15, I

inner jacket wall, but diffuses and spreads out between the jacket walls, as Shown for example in Fig. 4. Thus the lperforations do not point or lead against the inner walls of the jacket, but radiate from the steam terminals to discharge the steam vparallel to the walls. with condensed-steam pipes 24 tocarry the condensation to trap 25.

In the upper portion of the chamber, preferably on the level with the rim of its shell and close to the shell, an annular spray pipe 26 -is placed parallel to the rim, and is providedwith numerous small lateral vp'erforations 27 on its outer periphery pointingto the shell, in the general direction of the arrows `of Fig. 5. he pipe 26 is connected by branch feed pipes28 having valves.

a 29 and leading tothe supply pipe 30, which is equipped with a valve 31 and leadsto the Vstorage tank 32 of the fermented beverage `tobe treated. The chamber 1 consists of a vertical cylin- The -'central lower portion of the bottom ofy the chamber communicates with the receiver-33. for the alcohol-reduced beverage The steam jacketsare provided during the time the sample is being taken.

rlhe receiver 33 communicates with the vacnum pump 5 by a pipe 38 equipped with valves 39 and 40. rlhe top of the pan is provided with the usual bulls eyes for the insertion of the elect-ric lights, and with the observation glasses and the manhole door, which are not shown in the drawing. lf desired the vaporpipe 2 may be provided with a separator 4l for particles of beverage carried out by the vapor, which is provided with a valved return pipe 42 leading back to the chamber. The condenser may have the usual barometrical discharge tube 43. If desired the storage tank 32 may be provided with air valves 45 and 46, and the receiver 33 with air valves 47 and 48, for admitting or venting air.

The device operates as follows:

Valves 39 and 40 of pipe 38 and valves 35 and 36 of pipe 34 are opened, and the vacuum pump and condenser are put in operation, and when the desired vacuum has been obtained in the system some or all of the steam-valves 20, 21, 22, and 23 are opened together with valve 3l in the beverage-supply line. rlhus simultaneously with the entrance of the live steam into the jackets 9 and 10, beer (for example) from the storage tank 32 enters through the supply pipes into the annular distributing pipe 26, being drawn into the latter by suction as the vacuum in the pan is large enough to lift the beer suiiiciently for this purpose. rlhe distributing pipe 26 emits or discharges the beer in the direction of the arrows and distributes it uniformlyr in a llowing film or sheet over the interior surface of the chamber. During the How of the beer along the shell and dished bottom the steam is radially dlscharged in all directions between the walls of the steam jackets and uniformly gives olf its heat to the beer, changing the same into vapors in proportion as the steam condenses. Enough steam is admitted to keep the flowing beer in a state of boiling; preferably the apparatus is operated with a vacuum 1n order to recover the alcohol, but 1t may be used at atmospheric pressure by omitting the vacuum producing means. As the vapors containing the alcohol arise, they are carr1ed o' through tube 2 and at their arrival in condenser 3 they are condensed and then discharged through any suitable barometrical tube attached to the bottom of the condenser. The dealcoholized beer at its arrival at the base of the .bottom of the pan Hows through pipe 34 into the receiver 33, where it is held under vacuum until the desired quantity of beer has been dealcoholized. The discharge or flow of the beer from the pan proceeds without interruption, even when it is so large that the pipe 34 is lled with beer, because the vacuum in the nemesi receiver 33 is kept up to the proper point through the pipe 38, and any difference in vacuum in the pan and receiver would be in favor of the vacuum in the receiver being slightly higher than the vacuum in the pan on account of the absence of evaporation in the receiver and its direct communication with the pump.

The extent to which the alcohol is evaporated from the beer is controlled by regulating the quantit-y of steam emitted into jackets 9 and 10 by their steam suppl)v units. lf the alcohol reduction is to be carried on to the point where the beer containsa little less than one-half of one per cent. of alco hol by volume, the upper two steam units will usually deliver ample steam for evaporation, provided the beer does not flow too fast from the storage tank into the pan, and the lower two units may be closed during the process. But if the dow of beer to the pan is increased one or both of the other steam units may be used. When the beer is to be completely dealcoholized the third unit from header 17 is also used, and to insure that no trace-of alcohol is left in the alcohol-reduced beer the bottom unitA supplying the beverage to the pan is of advantage as then the flow of beer into the pan stops the moment the vacuum in the pan is broken. rThere are many reasons why this latter may hap en, and when it happens any Yfurther entrance ofthe beverage into the pan would be not only pu'rposeless but also detrimental to the beverage, because 1t w1ll not be dealcoholized and therefore will inthe discharge pipe 34 between the valves 35' and 36 requires only a momentary closing of these valves it will not interfere with the substantial continuity of the process and may be done frequently without danger to the beverage.

While in ordinary practice the dealcoholization proceeds at a very slow rate, by the present invention it is very rapid, being instantaneous in the beverage in the boiling zone and continuous in point of time, whether the beverage is to be only partly or whollyy dealcoholized. The pressure steam, whether live or exhaust, strikes the condensing surface of the boiling zone at veryV high speed and maintains against the surface throughout the boiling zone the large amount of latent heat nec'essary'to provide. lfor the rapid and large exchange of heat units continuously absorbed by the flowing beverage to maintain it inthe boiling state, and as the steam is kept a State of instantaneous and continuous condensation uniformly throughout the boiling zone by its constant contact with the condensing surface afforded by the wall of the evaporator the large quantity .or volume of high heat contained in the steam in 'the form of latent `heat vi's instantaneously and' continuously liberated and transmitted to the successive portions of the beverage in the liowingA lilm, so that the exposure of each successive portion of the beverage tothe boiling action is so momentary or reduced in time "that its quality is not affected even when the boiling temperature in the flowing lm is vmuch above those ordinarily detrimental to the beverage. For example, I havefound that in practice with my invention the beverage` is not impaired when the temperature in its flowing lilm inthe boiling zone is at 212 Fahrenheit. This is especially advantageous because in de alcoholizing beer for example` -its quality as abeverage decreases whether at lower temperatures. lFurther by my'invention the alcohol content is rapidlyl evaporated as only a thin film ofthe'beverage descending over the heating surface is exposed Y to the boiling action, and the quality of the beverage is not materially aected as it is only momentarily exposed to the action of heat and then the alcohol-reduced beverage is `carried out of the zone of evaporation;

eachv portion of the beverage passes'rapidly .through `the apparatus and without the necessity ofv checking or impeding its flow,l

and `successive portions ofthe beverage pass through the boiling zone in an vuninterrupted manner to provide continuous treatment for an unlimited amount. Also, my"

. invention practically eliminates the formation of foam or froth, which' seriously inten' feres with the customary distillation of alcohol from foam-producing beverages, such as beer, becausein boiling'such beverages -the formation of foam. increases with reductions in the boiling temperature or increases in the vacuum, but as my invention makes possible the-use of high temperatures withoutf A injury to. the beverage it diminishes theA foam to a negligible quantity that does notl e interfere withthe operation or require large apparatus to accommodate' a large foam-'vol- `'the premises of albrewvery, wllenl.-

ment to'impart to it lthe qualities of f oamproduction and foam-stability.

'While the beer foams slightly atpits dis-, charge on theheating surface fromthe disengagement of CO2, the foam, has time lto 'L5 subside during its descent on this surface, and therefore is entirely dealcoholized like the rest of the beverage. l y i Similarly, the volume of vapors arising from the *boiling -of beverages, especially 8a those containingcarbonic acid, such 4as beer, increases with reductions the boiling tem-` perature or with increases inthe vacuum, excessively large volumes Vof rarefied vapors being thus produced under such conditions, 8.5 but as my invention enables 'the boiling to. take place at high temperatures without jury to Athe beverage'it greatly reducesthev volume of the vapors andv thereby makes it possible to reduce the size ofthe apparatus7 '9 6 and so the expense o f its construction, installation and operation.- Anapparatus of the former type would be impractical for commercial removal of alcohol as it would be prohibitive in size, and the-auxiliary -appasa ratus required to take care of large volumes of vapor .would be proportionately large, while by my apparatus providing for instantaneous dealcoholizationfby Vboilingat high temperatures without detriment to the quallfa. ity ofthe beverage the volume of vapors is so reduced that the size of anl evaporator for continuous dealcoholization of an unlimited quantity of beer is4V reduced toa minimum and all auxiliaryl ,apparatus '13911595v take care of the vapor is correspondingly ,v

reduced.- y A Also my invention 'may beemployed on U. S. Internal Revenue Regul permit thefcollection` yof alcoho where there is-no objection. against lection of alcohol in the manufacture' 'of v alcohol-reduced beer on' the premises of a-j Y distillery, suitable means for alcohol collec- 1.15. tion may be readilyprovided. Itis advantageous to utilize lthe latent heat in the vapor to initially raise the ltem-V peratlure of the iniiowing beverage -as vitis supplied tothe evaporator, and for this 'pur- ',120

pose the beverage feed-pipe30 passes' into?,

.and along the vapor tube. 2, beingarranged i 1n coils therein. The va'pors rec':ip'itated,on

the feed-pipe inthe vapor tube How; as water".A e

" into the condenser to be discharged as water ,"12155 f together with `the other condensations. :Forflexample,- the heating. ofthe f bever'a'geon way to the vacuum Ipanv .'considerably:"defv creases the amount of steam necessary 51:01?, boilingiaandas this heating is done by vapors arising from the boiling beverage a considerable saving in fuel for the production of the steam and a considerable saving in water necessary for precipitating the vapors in the condenser take place.

The annular feed pipe 26 is preferably shaped in cross-section as shown in Fig. 5, its lower surface 26 being downwardly and outwardly inclined and the discharge openings 27 being at the bottom of the incline to facilitate the How of the beverage and emptying the pipe, and the openings being relatively small in comparison with the area of the pipe produce a head in the latter to eject the -beverage against the wall of the p an.

l make no' claim in t-he present application to a process of manufacturing alcohol-reduced beverages, which may be carried out with the herein disclosed apparatus, among others, as the same constitutes the subjectmatter of my divisional application led February 24th, 1917, bearing Serial Number 150,611, of the series of 1915.

l claim 1. ln a device of the class described, a vertical evaporator having a vapor outlet in its top and a liquid outlet in its bottom, a liquid sprayer located in the upper end of the evaporator to discharge a lilm of liquid on the inner surface thereof near said end, a jacket for said evaporator, and a Vbank of pressure steam injectors in saidjacket to diffuse steam therein against the outer surface of the evaporator to instantaneously and continuously liberate and transmit to the beverage a large quantity of high heat to form a boiling zone to inornentarily boil the beverage in the owing ilm.

2. ln a device of the class described, a vertical evaporating chamber provided with a vapor outlet on its top and a liquid outlet in its bottom and having its diameter gradually reduced toward its lower end, a liquid sprayer located in the upper end oit the chamber to discharge a film of liquid on the inner surface thereof near said end, a jacket for said chamber, and steam injectors in said jacket to diuse pressure steam therein, to instantaneously and conf tinuously liberate and transmit to the beverage a large quantity of high heat to form a boiling zone to momentarily boil the beverage in the owing film.

3. ln a device of the class described, a vertical evaporator having a vapor outlet in its top and a liquid outlet in its bottom, a liquid sprayer located in the upper end of the evaporator to discharge a film of liquid on the inner wall thereof near said end, a. jacket for said evaporator, and steam injectors in said jacket having lateral discharge nozzles to diduse pressure steam therein, to instantaneously and continuously liberate and transmit to the beverage a large 'a hlm of liquid thereon, a jacket for said pan, a plurality of banks of steam injectors at dierent levels in'said jacket to diiuse steam therein, and means to control the steam supply to each oit said banks of injectors.

5. ln a device of the class described, a vertical vacuum pan having a curved bottom, a vapor conducting tube connected with the pan, a liquid sprayer located in the upper end of said pan to discharge a ilin of liquid on the inner wall thereof near said end, a jacket for said pan, a jacket for said curved bottom, steam injectors in said jackets to diuse steam therein, and means to separately control the steam supply to said injectors. y 6. ln a device o the class described, .a vertical vacuum pan having a vapor outlet and a liquid outlet, a liquid sprayer located at the upper end ofsaid pan to discharge a hlm of liquid thereon, a jacket tor said pan, a plurality of banks of steam injectors in said jacket having lateral discharge nozzles to diduse pressure steam therein to instantaneously and continuously liberate and transmit to the beverage a large quantity of high heat toforin a boiling zone to inomentarily boil the beverage in the owing lm, and means to control the steam supply to said banks ot inject/ors.

7. ln a device of the class described, a

vertical vacuum pan having a curved bot-' toin, a vapor conducting tube connected with .the pan, a liquid sprayer located in the upper end of said pan to discharge a lin ot liquid on the inner Wall thereof near said end, a jacket for said pan, a jacket for said curved bottom, steam injectors in said jackets having lateral discharge nozales to diEuse pressure steam therein to instantaneously and continuously liberate and transmit to the beverage a large quantityA of high heat to form a boiling zone lto momentarily boil the beverage in the `iliowing lm, and a liquid outlet in said bottom.

8 lna device of the class described, a vertical vacuum pan having a vapor tube, a liquid sprayer located at the upper end of said pan to discharge a film oit liquid'.

thereon, a jacket for said pan, and steam injectors in said jacket, the sprayer having its lower wall downwardly and outwardly inclined and its discharge openings at the bottom of the inclined walL 9. ln a device othe class described, a i

vertical evaporator having a vapor outlet in its top and a liquid outlet in its bottom,

iio

a. liquid sprayer located in the' uper end to momentarily boil the beverage in the 10 of the evaporator to discharge a Aflowing i'owing film. film of liquid on the upper 4portion of one In testimony whereof I aliX my signature surfc thereof, a steam jacket, alilid meins in presence of two Witnesses.

to i use pressure steam in t e jac et against the opposite surface of said evapo- HERMAN HEUSEB rator to instantaneously and continuously Witnesses:

liberate and transmit to the beverage a large J. MCROBERTS,

quantity of high heat to form a boiling zone EDITH Wmcox. 

